“I’m screwed.”
Jung Si-woo muttered, clutching his head. A large TV screen reflected the image of a sturdy young man wearing a stylish leather jacket. His helmet concealed his face, but he still managed to look very dignified, jumping around with a hammer in hand. It looked like a scene taken from a high-budget action movie.
“Si-woo is finally on the air. Still, it took more time than I thought.”
His mother spoke calmly while cutting an apple. Tricking his mother was never in Jung Si-woo’s plans. He knew from the beginning that covering his face wouldn’t stop his mom from recognizing him.
“Son, I knew you were strong from the start, but now you use an inventory and wield strange abilities?”
His mother’s voice was tinged with concern.
“Have you become a player?”
“Uhhh—”
Si-woo mumbled, unable to answer directly.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
His mother was as inquisitive as ever. Jung Si-Woo sighed and nodded, confirming her fears.
“I’m a little different from the other players. I thought it would be best if I stayed in the shadows for now.”
He talked as if being a player wasn’t a big deal, but the look on his mother’s face said otherwise. Jung Si-woo shook his head and smiled creepily.
“I needed to go to Sanha-dong anyway.”
“Does this mean that you are the reason why monsters haven’t reappeared in Sanha-dong?”
Jung Si-woo nodded quietly. His mom was quiet for a moment. She was debating in her head about something huge. After some thinking, she took the apple slices she made and offered them to Si-woo.
“Don’t go abroad to take care of other countries’ monsters. They will find a way to deal with their problems somehow.”
“It’s okay, mother.”
“Son, you’re very important to me.”
She begged, her voice almost trembling.
“For sure, there are others out there who could handle the situation as well.”
His mother went back to what she was doing earlier. She cut the remaining apples into small slices and stuck little toothpicks in each of them before handing them out to Jung Si-woo.
“Tell that little girl to eat too.”
“You knew?!”
Si-woo shouted out of surprise, nearly spitting out the apple slice he was chewing. Even Soo Ah-rin, who was hiding in his arms, was frightened of Si-woo’s mother.
“Of course, everyone would find it strange to have a dollhouse in their house that they didn’t buy.”
“Uhm—”
Si-woo didn’t even have the time to finish his muttering when his mom interrupted him.
“Shhh. Come out and introduce yourself.”
Soo Ah-rin hesitantly crawled out from one of his sleeves. His mother noticed her identity immediately, but she didn’t ask any further.
“Thank you, mother.”
Si-woo said, grateful for his mom’s apparent acceptance of the situation.
“So, are you helping this lady?”
“I guess you could say we have a mutual aid relationship.”
“Are you sure that’s all your relationship with each other means?”
“A relationship? With her?”
Soo Ah-rin, who was quietly nibbling on an apple, rolled her eyes at his response. Jung Si-woo didn’t notice her agitation, but his mother started to laugh.
“Anyway, give me the money.”
His mom said, palms extended forward.
“That’s bullshit!”
“Surely you’re racking in a lot of money with what you’re doing. Would you even be able to spend all this money on your own?”
Jung Si-woo’s silence basically meant yes. His mother laughed as if she already knew his answer from the beginning.
“Let your mom take care of it. I’ll make an account. That’ll help you spend your money. From now on, you are to deposit your money in that particular account. You hear me?”
His mother ended the conversation without letting Si-woo argue further. Jung Si-woo emptied his pockets, handing over the money. His mother turned pale at the sight of the hundred-dollar bills.
“You earned this much in mere days? Do all the players earn so much?”
Her voice was ripe with shock.
“Si-woo is a little… he’s special.”
Ah-rin’s voice trailed off.
“No wonder! My God!”
His mother was stunned to see an amount of money an ordinary person couldn’t possibly earn even in 10 years. Jung Si-woo looked at it carefully.
“Is it really that much?”
“No, don’t worry about that. I was just surprised because it was more than I first thought.”
“You can keep some of it, mom.”
She shook her head in response.
“I’m not yet in need enough to accept money from my son.”
She paused, then continued to his surprise.
“So, independent now.”
“Huh?”
“You look so much more capable now. It seems like there isn’t much need of me here given how well you could take care of yourself.”
“Still…”
Si-woo’s voice trailed off.
“It’s okay; this is an opportunity for you to focus on your work.”
Jung Si-woo could only laugh bitterly at the situation. In the end, he had nothing left to say except:
“Okay. From now on, I will be independent.”
“Will you need help finding a suitable house?”
“No need. I can do it by myself.”
‘If I can rest at that place, no problem for me.’
Jung Si-woo stored all the stuff he would need, including the dollhouse, into his inventory. Meanwhile, his mother went out to shop for him one last time. Soo Ah-rin muttered blankly, a feeling of weakness coming over her after the confrontation.
“Your mother… she’s a very cool person.”
“When you raise a son like me, you’ll either give up or get involved.”
“I’m so proud of that.”
Jung Si-woo stood up, ignoring Soo Ah-rin’s sarcasm. She grabbed his arm.
“We will be busy in the days to come, but let’s take a break for now.”
Ah-rin said, trying to lighten the mood.
“No, I have to repaint my bike. Again.”
Later that evening, Jung Si-woo’s mother prepared a huge feast for the three of them. Jung Si-woo gobbled down on the assortment of dishes without giving it a second thought, but Ah-rin, on the other hand, settled down with finely chopped dishes that suited her best.
“So, is there any possibility to return you to normal?”
Si-woo’s mother asked, her eyes fixed on Ah-rin.
“If I continue to get great food like this, I will soon be able to regain my original strength and shape.”
“That’s great news. It would be very frustrating if you were to stay like this. Anyway, does my son bother you?”
Ah-rin glanced at Si-woo sheepishly for a second before returning her attention to his mother.
“Not at all. He treats me very well, actually.”
Soo Ah-rin knows that Si-woo’s mom meant well, but she couldn’t help but feel concerned with the way she considered her to be a possible daughter-in-law. Soo Ah-rin tried to signal Jung Si-woo to save her from this situation, but he was too busy deciding which dish to eat first.
‘You fool!’
Ah-rin screamed in her head. Jung Si-woo’s mother had a lovely smile while Ah-rin sat there in a cold sweat. Everything was happening as planned!
The next day, Si-woo received a checkbook and a card from his mother, so he could deposit the money he had earned clearing dungeons.
“Don’t worry; no one will bother whether you deposit or withdraw money from that account in the future.”
“Is it illegal?”
“Did you think it would be resolved legally?”
His mom replied with a sheepish grin.
“Son, there were so many people looking for you. If you happen to go out, be sure to wear a helmet.”
She warned with her usual maternal voice.
“Okay.”
He didn’t like it one bit but had no choice but to do as she said.
“I know getting hurt is inevitable, but I hope you don’t have any plans to die or get permanently maimed.”
“Calm down. Of course, I don’t plan on dying.”
Content with her son’s promise, Si-woo’s mother then turned her attention to Soo Ah-rin.
“Ah-rin, my son can be so stubborn at times. Please watch over him.”
“Of course.”
Satisfied, Si-woo’s mother nodded as she watched Soo Ah-rin hide in Jung Si-woo’s sleeve. Before long, his bike started. Only a day had passed, and yet it seemed like the entire world had changed forever. Even Jung Si-woo’s family seemed to have changed as well. Jung Si-woo sighed in relief at the feeling of finally being free to do as he wanted.
“Now, should we stop by the dungeon before it appears again?”
Soo Ah-rin asked.
“We have a radar that can navigate up to ten kilometers, so that won’t be a problem. Although the amount of bead stocked really makes me a bit anxious.”
At the thought of the radar, he realized the importance of a resting place. It was impossible to offer beads to the altar blindly now. Therefore, Jung Si-woo was left with two choices.
The first was to enter a dungeon that was easy compared to his current level. No matter how many monster beads he collected, there must be an exact level of consumables or artifacts offered to the altar. Jung Si-Woo needed to decide whether to skip the rewards or store them all in the resting place.
The second, of course, was to enter a dungeon that suited his level. Now that he had decent weapons and armor, he needed to acquire good artifacts. He also needed to be selective on which of them to devote to the altar. Saving money was important, but whenever a special situation such as the reinforcement altar or a unique bead appeared, it was more prudent to consume the beads according to the scenario.
“How about a dungeon that is difficult compared to your level?”
“I’m not going in. I told you last time. I definitely love challenges, but I don’t like heading to walls that I cannot climb. Of course, one day I will, but only when I become stronger.”
“I’m glad you said that.”
Ah-rin replied, feeling content with his response. Their conversation was cut short by the appearance of a man with butterfly wings falling from the sky. They both held their breath, surprised at the unexpected turn of events. Soo Ah-rin was muttering something, but Jung Si-woo didn’t have the time to listen as he immediately stopped the bike and kicked off the ground.
“No!”
Ah-rin cried out, trying to stop Si-woo.
“What? If I don’t move, he will die!”
Si-woo replied, confused and a bit angered by Ah-rin’s words.
“But you might die too!”
Jung Si-woo paid no attention to her worries. He had better things to worry about, like the man about to meet his death if he didn’t intervene. Without waiting for Ah-rin, Jung Si-woo jumped high in the sky and grabbed the falling man before he hit the ground.
The man they saved seemed to be in his early 20’s. He was unconscious but safe, thanks to Si-woo, who was at the right place at the right time to save him. All seemed fine at first, but the moment their feet touched the ground, they were sucked into a dungeon.
